Prof. Niek Peters
Attorney-at-law
Niek specializes in the resolution of commercial and contractual disputes. He represents his clients in (national and international) arbitration, court proceedings and ADR. In addition to his work as counsel, Niek is also a Professor of International Commercial Arbitration at the University of Groningen. He is regularly appointed as arbitrator, binding advisor and expert.
Niek advises and litigates on various issues, including the conclusion, performance and termination of commercial contracts, civil liability and damages. Niek has special expertise in the field of arbitration. He also has extensive knowledge of and experience with the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and setting aside proceedings. Whenever possible, Niek helps to prevent disputes or to resolve them at an early stage.
Niek works for clients in a wide range of industries, including the energy sector, the machine industry, international trade, the financial sector (including private equity) and the professional services sector. He also represents and litigates against foreign states. Furthermore, (foreign) lawyers engage Niek as expert in the field of Dutch arbitration law and Dutch private international law.
Clients and peers enjoy working with Niek. In Who’s Who Legal (2020-2023), he is described by them as “a great attorney”, “a clever practitioner”, “quick minded and smart”, “full of excellent ideas”, “extremely thorough”, “with a strong knowledge of arbitration law”, and with “the ability to find practical and effective solutions to difficult issues”.
Specialization
Niek has special knowledge of and experience with:
- commercial arbitration, both as counsel and arbitrator, both institutional (g. ICC, NAI, LCIA, CEPANI, UNUM and SIAC) as well as ad hoc, and with application of the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules;
- investment arbitration and state immunity;
- the enforcement of arbitral awards;
- litigation to set aside and to revoke arbitral awards;
- litigation regarding the conclusion, performance and termination of commercial contracts, civil liability and damages;
- disputes concerning professional liability and related disciplinary proceedings;
- shareholder disputes, joint venture disputes and post M&A claims; and
- mass claims and cartel follow-on damages claims.
Work experience
Niek has been in private practice for more than 18 years. Before he joined Legaltree, he was a partner at Simmons & Simmons, where he headed the Amsterdam commercial litigation and arbitration group. Niek has recently represented, among others:
- Crescent Gas Corporation Limited and Crescent Petroleum Company International Limited regarding the recognition and enforcement of a foreign arbitral award (value > USD 2.5 billion)
- Cairn Energy PLC and Cairn UK Holding Limited in proceedings against India to set aside an arbitral award (value > USD 1.1 billion)
- a foreign state in various proceedings to prevent the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards (value > USD 500 million)
- a foreign party in an international arbitration and before a national court concerning a guarantee claim by a foreign bank
- a machine manufacturer in an international arbitration
- a global food corporation in an international arbitration
- a private equity fund in an arbitration concerning a post M&A dispute
- Credendo-Short-Term Non-EU Risks S.A. in proceedings to enforce a foreign arbitral award (value > USD 15 million)
- a home care organization in a dispute with pension fund PFZW, to set aside a binding advice
- Mazars, in various professional liability cases
- Bunq, in a contractual dispute with a service provider.
In addition to his work as counsel, Niek is also a Professor of International Commercial Arbitration at the University of Groningen, where he has taught the course International Commercial Dispute Settlement Law since 2008. Niek is a guest lecturer at several Dutch and foreign universities as well.
Memberschips & Ancillary positions
Ancillary positions
- Professor of International Commercial Arbitration – University of Groningen
- Board Member Royal Netherlands Association of International Law
- Member ICC Commission on Arbitration & ADR
- Member UNUM Arbitration Rules Revision Committee
- Editorial Board Member Czech Yearbook of Arbitration
- Board Member Dutch Arbitration Association
Memberships
- Dutch Arbitration Association
- Dutch Association of Procedural Law
- Corporate Litigation Association
Education
Education
- University of Groningen – PhD (2015)
- Erasmus University Rotterdam – Dutch Law and Public International Law (2004)
Books and publications
Books
- Openbare orde en arbitrage (inaugural lecture), Wolters Kluwer, 2023
- The fundamentals of international commercial arbitration, Maklu, 2017 (1st edition), 2020 (2nd edition)
- IPR, Proces & Arbitrage: Over grondslagen en rechtspraktijk (dissertation), Maklu, 2015
- A selection of Conventions, Rules and Guidelines used in International Arbitration, Publishing House Hephaestus, 2011
Book contributions, articles and other publications
- Online arbitration: the counsel perspective, in: P. Ortolani, A. Janssen & P. Wolters, International Arbitration and Technology, Deventer: Wolters Kluwer 2022, p. 31-42
- De vraag naar de uitvoerbaarheid van arbitrale voorlopige voorzieningen in het Koninkrijk mede bezien in het licht van art. 1022c Rv en art. 1074d Rv, TvA 2022/2, p. 7-13
- Practical Insights on Article II(1) and (2) of the New York Convention, Kluwer Arbitration 2022
- Practical Insights on Article II(3) of the New York Convention, Kluwer Arbitration 2021
- Fouten van arbiters en de gevolgen daarvan voor hun honorarium, NTBR 2021/1, p. 17-27
- Enkele gedachten over de toepasselijkheid van het beginsel van ius curia novit in gerechtelijke procedures in verband met arbitrage en de gevolgen daarvan voor arbitrage, NIPR 2020/4, p. 715-730
- Arbitration and conflict of laws, NIPR 2020/4, p. 631-633
- Aansprakelijkheid van arbiters: Enkele gedachten over maatstaf, vernietiging, grondslag, ipr en exoneratie, MvV 2020/10, p. 364-371
- JOR 2020/164
- The enforcement of mediation agreements and settlement agreements resulting from mediation, Corporate Mediation Journal 2020/5
- Artikel 10:13 BW, in: P. Vlas & M. Zilinsky (red.), Commentaar Internationaal Privaatrecht (boek 10 BW), Den Haag: SdU 2020
- De toepasselijkheid van de Herschikte Brussel Ibis-Verordening bij mediation, bindend advies en arbitrage, NIPR 2019/2, p. 299-317
- De mondelinge behandeling in arbitrage: achttien praktische aanbevelingen, in: C.J.M. Klaassen, G.J. Meijer & C.L. Schleijpen (eds.), Going Dutch: ADR in Nederland, in het bijzonder bij het NAI, Deventer: Kluwer 2019, p. 547-573
- Drie jaar nieuwe arbitragewet: tien suggesties voor verbetering, TCR 2018/4, p. 101-110
- Het belang van de plaats van arbitrage voor het toepasselijke recht, Bb 2017/3, p. 41-46
- De herziene Nederlandse arbitragewet, ORP 2016/5, p. 22-29
- Het toepasselijke recht op de overeenkomst tot arbitrage, NIPR2016/2, p. 239-247
- De overeenkomst tot arbitrage: wat zet je er in?, ORP2014/8, p. 16-19
- Remission in de nieuwe arbitragewet, TCR2013/4, p. 117-127
- De Europese stichting: terug naar de tekentafel?, NtER2013/3, p. 93-101
- De (on)bevoegdheid van het Gerechtshof Amsterdam in WCAM-zaken, NIPR2013/1, p. 3-12
- De Wet collectieve afwikkeling massaschade: wat is zij waard in het buitenland?, NTBR 2013/2
- Artikel 6:166 BW: onbekend maakt onbemind?, AV&S2012/21
- Vernietiging van arbitrale vonnissen door ad hoc scheidsgerechten, is dat niet vernieuwend?, in: M.H. Kroeze, L. Timmermans & G.J. Meijer (eds.), Piet Sanders: een honderdjarige vernieuwer, Den Haag: Boom Juridische Uitgevers 2012, p. 217-223
- Bevoegdheid van de Nederlandse rechter bij een exequaturprocedure en een actio iudicati, NIPR2010/3, p. 215-222
- Verrekening in het ipr, NIPR2007/1, p. 3-9
Practice areas
Contact
Testimonials
Niek has been included in the first (2022) Legal500 Arbitration Powerlist – Benelux Region and he is ranked as generation partner
‘The level of expertise and quality is very high.’
‘We appreciate Niek Peters’ tactics in our case, which helped winning more than once.’
‘Strong legal knowledge with a determination to win.’
‘Niek Peters is a strong intellect, committed to win.’
‘The legal knowledge and practical awareness of the court system is outstanding.’
‘Niek combines high-level academic knowledge with practical experience and a low-key, can-do approach.’
‘Niek Peters has great academic background that really helps to solve the most difficult questions’.